People who book on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com have expectations of staying at a cozy home that includes basic amenities. Having a comprehensive list of everything you need in your vacation home will help to ease the pain of trying to remember if you have enough of a specific item for the next guest or if you replaced a broken item. Similar to a cleaning checklist, an inventory checklist will make sure that every need of your rental home is met. Keeping track is the easiest way to assure 5-star accommodations for every guest that walks through your front door.
Importance of a vacation rental inventory checklist
There are a couple of different ways that you can keep an inventory checklist. Depending on the type of person you are and how simple versus complicated you want to make it, there is a solution for everyone. A printable version is always a good idea if you are giving it to someone else to fill out.
Excel Spreadsheet or Google Sheet
Using a spreadsheet can be very handy for those that like to visualize everything. Depending on how many properties you manage and how you choose to receive your inventory will change how you can organize this spreadsheet for optimized clarity.
Property managers that receive all products in a single place and then distribute them may find it easier to organize the sheets by room type. Each room gets its own sheet with the first column being the item type, the second column being the desired quantity of the item, and the third column is the real-time inventory.
Property managers that order to specific properties will want to organize their sheet based on property. In the scenario you will set up your columns the same way as in the previous example except now you will put everything on one page and create different sheets for each property.
Download it now for free:
Free Template: Inventory Checklist for Vacation Rentals
With this template, stay organized and on top of all your inventory orders. Lists on notepads are a thing of the past, spreadsheets are your new bestfriend!
Word Document or Google Doc
You can keep track of all your needs simply by writing it down on a notepad or on a word document. Documenting reorders on a word document will help you keep track of how often you need to reorder. You can also use these data points to help you better manage your monthly expenses.
You can simply take notes in bullet point form if you aren’t tech-savvy or you can make it a little bit more visually pleasing and create a table. The first column would represent the item and the second column could be used for notes.
Keeping track of inventory after each guest‘s stay is important to ensure a good guest experience. Short-term rental managers could have cleaners take inventory for them when they go through and clean. Simple things such as knowing how many rolls of toilet paper, napkins, etc. will help to keep you on top of your inventory. Restricting access to these items is also a good idea to avoid guests taking things home with them or using too much. This will also help you to keep track of inventory without needing someone to count everything after every stay.
Inventory checklists by room
Below are suggestions of what each room should have. Not everything is mandatory however, the more you provide for your guests will lead to better reviews, and 5-star reviews will boost your listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com.
Kitchen
The kitchen will be one of the most tedious rooms to stock but it is worth your time. Many vacation home renters are planning on cooking at home at least a couple of times. Nothing is more annoying than trying to cook a basic meal and not having all the tools to be able to do so.
- Appliances
- Microwave [if not built in]
- Toaster
- Coffee maker
- Electric kettle
- Blender
- Insta pot/crockpot
- Air fryer
- Dishware
- Plates (dinner and dessert)
- Bowls (cereal and pasta)
- Glassware (water glasses and wine glasses)
- Utensils (including steak knives)*note: For dishware, ideally have double the amount the number of people your property can host.
- Cooking essentials
- Pans
- Pots
- Mixing bowls
- Spoons/spatulas
- Colander
- Casserole dishes
- Storage containers
- Cutting boards
- Knives
- Can opener
- Bottle opener
- Basic seasonings and condiments (periodically check expiration dates)
- Coffee and tea
- Paper products
- Paper towels
- Napkins
- Cleaning supplies
- Sponges
- Dish soap
- Hand soap
- All-purpose cleaner
- Garbage can with extra garbage bags
- Recycling bin with extra bags
- Others
- Fire extinguisher
Think about all the kitchen items you use on a daily basis to make simple meals for your family. This will give you a good starting point of what you should have in your vacation home kitchen.
Bedroom
A crisp and clean room is essential for relaxation. Nothing feels better than getting into a nice clean bed after a long day of exploring. Here are a couple of things to ensure guests feel at home.
- Linens (including high-quality bed sheets)
- Hangers
- Alarm clock
- Ceiling fan
- Bedside tables with lamps
- Extra blankets
- Pillows
- Blackout curtains
If you want to take the extra step to make guests feel at home you can also provide a sound machine and colored lights. Smart lights aren’t terribly expensive and make it convenient for guests to control lights from the bed.
Bathroom
The number one priority in bathrooms is cleanliness. Make sure that your cleaning service thoroughly deep cleans the bathroom.
- Bath towels
- Hand towels
- Washcloths
- Toilet paper
- Toiletries: hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, body soap
- Small trash can
- Hairdryer
If you want to enhance the guest experience you can provide other personal hygiene products. Although most people will travel with these necessities it does add a nice touch when you forget something.
Living room
A comfortable living room may not be essential but it is nice. Depending on the type of vacation they are taking, some vacationers will come and never step foot in your living room while others will spend most of their time in there. Either way ensuring that your living room is homey is a must.
- T.V. with streaming services: once in a while double-check that they are working
- Board games: make sure all the pieces are still there and the game is still playable
- Blankets
- Comfortable couches/chairs
- Coffee table
- Speaker (amazon echo dots are a great option, easily connect and produce great sound)
- Simple decor
- High-speed wifi
- Fireplace accessories (prongs, firestarters, starter wood)
Dining room
The dining room could end up being where the most memories are made. Telling stories and jokes during dinner is a timeless activity while on vacation. You want your guests to associate it with a good place, therefore having a nice dining room set up will add to the memory.
- Dining table and seating
- Coasters
- Placemats
- Simple table decorations
Make sure that your dining room table has seating for at least 2x the number of guests you allow. This will ensure seating if people choose to have friends over for lunch or dinner. That said, make sure your seating arrangement is aligned with your extra guest policy.
Children and pets
If you are marketing as a pet-friendly or child-friendly rental property there are some essentials that you will need to seal the deal. Having a couple of extra amenities means that guests don’t have to travel with as much stuff which makes them more likely to book and give you a 5-start review.
When it comes to children’s items, it may be cost-prohibitive to buy these items for all your properties. Rather, buy one or two sets and store them in your head office or nearby storage. If a family requests these items, bring them to the property before check-in.
Children
- Changing stations
- Childproof your home (baby gates, outlet covers, cover sharp corners, childproof locks etc.)
- Highchair
- Strollers
- Baby monitor
- Crib with clean linens
- Child-specific dishes (you don’t want children breaking glass dishes)
Pets
- Food and water bowls
- Kennel and pet bed
- Extra poop bags
- Toys
- Pet-specific cleaners for accidental messes
Not every guest will want to have a litter box in the home during the time of rental. Therefore if it is needed and you choose to offer it you can bring it to the home before a guest‘s stay and remove it after.
Conclusion
A stocked home is the vacation rental industry standard. But a well-stocked vacation home is greatly appreciated by guests and a great way to get more 5-star reviews. Having an inventory checklist is essential to keeping yourself organized and ensuring that this amenity stays consistent over time.
